Means for securing buttons to work



March 20, 1934. R LYON-S 1,951,516

MEANS FOR SECURING BUTTONS TO WORK Original Filed March 30. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 20, 1934. R LYONS 1,951,516

MEANS FOR SECURING BUTTONS TO WORK Original Filed March 30, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 20, 1934 NITED STATES 1,951,516 s MEANS Fon SECURING BUTTONS` To WORK Robert L. Lyons, Waltham, Mass., assigner to American Button Sewing Machine Co., Boston,

Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application March 30, 1929,Y Serial No. 351,391. Divided and this application May 28,A

1932, Serial N0. 614,070

3 claims. (o1. i12-265) This invention relates to means for sewing four-hole buttons to Work and more especially to the arrangement of stitches for this purpose.

I-leretofore it has been usual practice when sew- L 'If ing on four hole buttons by machine, to pass a series of stitches in succession through each of the holes of one pair and then to move the button relative to the sewing instrumentalities to pren sent the other pair of holes to the needle path Y l and then to pass a series of stitches in succession through the holes of this other pair. This shifting of the button relative to the needle during the stitching results in the laying of the thread from one to the other pair of holes over the exposed face of the button, which impairs the appearance of the face or top of the button after it has been attached. Commonly also the holes of each pair through a button are rjoined by a surl ,l face channel in the front face of the button in which the stitches lie, but this cross thread cannot lie in the channel so that not only is it more noticeable but it is exposed over the more prominent surface portion of the button where it is liable to be out or broken. Moreover, if the stitching is done as commonly with a single thread in chain stitch formation, a breaking of the thread at any point is likely to cause raveling of the thread and the freeing of the button.

1n accordance with the present invention the four hole button is attached without the cross thread and by the use of two sets of chain stitches each made by its own needle and with a looptaking mechanism common to both needles which interengages the loops from both needles on the back face of the work.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 351,391 filed. March 30, 1929, for Method and machine for securing buttons to work.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are detail perspectives showing successive relative positions of sewing instrumentalities during the stitching cycle.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan showing positions of certain of the sewing instrumentalities subsequent to the position of Figure 4 in the stitching cycle.

Figures 6 to 11 are somewhat diagrammatic views showing the manner in which the stitches are laid across the face of the button and on the back of the work, Figures 6 and 11 showing f5.5'l the button face, and Figures 7 and 10 showing ployed, being actuated, if desired, as shown in my parent application hereinbefore mentioned, each needle having its own sewing thread, such as a and b. Each of these needles passes stitches alternately through the hole of a pair in theY button, the two sets of stitches lying in parallel relation on the face of the button as shown in Figure 11, through the body-fabric or work W, and through the slots 93 of the needle plate 92. Y Below the needle plate is shown mechanism for taking the loops from both needles and passing them through the previously taken loops. This mechanism as shown comprises a latch needle 50 similar to those commonly employed in knitting machines and cooperating with this latch needle is a thread finger 71 having a hooked forward extremity 72.

Assuming now that a button is held as by a suitable button clamp superposed on the work in position to be fixed thereto, on the rst downward stroke of the needle bar the sewing needles 7 pass through two of the holes in the button and down through the work W. The latch needle is then caused to approach the needles in a path parallel to the plane of the needles, the latch 52 being opened on the forward stroke of the latch needle by engagement against the beveled edge of the needle plate. When the needles 7 have reached the position shown in Figure 1, this latch needle has started on its backward stroke, so that the hook 51 of this needle engages the two loops of thread a' and b and the sewing needles 7 retract, as shown in Figure 2. As the latch Vneedle retracts the thread iinger 71 is moved forwardly, its hook end 72 being swung laterally and engaging the loops of thread as shown in Figure 3. The button and the work are then moved laterally so as to bring the other two holes of the button into the paths of motion of the sewing needles, as shown in Figure 3. The sewing needles then pass downwardly through these other holes, as shown in Figure 4, and the latch needle -moves forwardly to take the thread loops a2 and b2 therefrom, which it is shown as just about to do in Figure 4, the thread loops a' and b previously formed being held on the shank of the latch needle by the thread nger 71 and back of the free endl of the open latch 52. As the latch needle starts back with the two loops a2 and b2 in its hook, the thread linger is retracted, freeing the thread loops a and b and permitting them to engage the fdo tio

are formed through the holes in the button Wherein the rst stitches were placed and in that stitching cycle the third loops of thread are then passed about the second loops of thread aZandbZ-in the same manner that the second loops of thread a2,J and b2 were passed about the iirsty loopsof thread a and b as previously described. It will be seen, therefore, that the loops of threads formed uon each sewing stroke by both of the stitching needles 'I areengaged by a singlelooper mechanisin and the stitches completedin chain forma-y tion, .y thethreads of both stitches being interengagedbackofthe button and on the back face vof the work, The loops of the two threads are thusV successively keyed in pairs, loops of each thread embracing and being enchained with loops of` both threads .on the under side of the body fabric. 1

Figures? and 8 show the back face of the work after the' rstand second thread loops respectively have been taken, while Figure 9 shows the appearance after the fourth set of loops have been taken. 351v Figure `10 .shows thev general appearance of the back face `of the work at the, completion of the sewingoperation, the loops being shown somewhat loose, however, so. that the position of the threads .may be better followed. 4th Theforward face of thev button after the com-v pletion of the sewing operation showsmerely` two lines of stitching 100 each comprising thread loopsV extending back and forth'across the face of the button as vshown in Figure 11. It will be noted 459 that the threads on the back face ofthe work engage over substantially. the whole area bounded bythe-four sets of perforations through thework moved to present the first pair of holes in alinement with the needles so `that the nextstitches where the two sets of stitches have passed so that an exceedingly large area of Contact between the threads and the work is produced. It is found also that the interengaging and interlocking of the tWo sets of stitches is so secure that in case a thread vbreaks at rany point no raveling of the thread occurs so that the secureness of the attachment of the button is little effected. t also makes unnecessary the usual knotting of the thread effected in a single thread button sewing machine at the end of thesewingoperation, this knot being formed by passing the needle twice through the same hole in the button which necessitates a single stroke of the needle after the sewing stitches have been completed.

From theforegoing description of an embodiment... ofl this ,invention and certain means by which it may be produced, it should be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various modifications might be made without departing from the spirit. or scope ofthis invention as dened by the appendedy claims.

I claim;

1. The Ycombination with a body-fabric, of a four-hole button, a fastening thread extending back-and-forth on theexposed face of the vbutton and formedinto loops passing through tWo of the four holes in the button, and a second thread extendingbackfand-forth on the exposed face of the button and formed into loops passing through the remaining `two holes of the button, the loops of said threads being successively keyed in pairs.

2.The combination. with a body-fabric, of a four-.hole button and two fastening threads each formed into loops passing through holes in the button and body-fabric and embracing loops Yof both threads at the under side of the body-fabric.

3.v The. combination with a body-fabric, of a four-hole button, and two fastening threads arranged in spaced parallel groups on the exposed face of the button and formed into loops passing through the holes in the button and through the body-fabric, loops of each thread being enchained with loops ofV both threads at the under surface of the work.

RCBERT L. LYONS. 

